Persona 4: Bonds Beyond Dimension
by judasuu
Summary: Takes place after the end of the True story of Persona 4, Souji returns with another ordeal taking place, this two more wild cards will join the fray, and this new wild card is none other than Yosuke and the other one, a former guest of the velvet room, as they struggle to find the truth behind all this, they will encounter many things where their bonds will be tested.
1. Chapter 1

**Persona 4: Bonds Beyond Dimension**

**Chapter 1: Welcome into The Era of Prison**

...Velvet room...

"Hm?" In this usual velvet colored room, there is only one light that is emanating, and it's on the desk of the proprietor of this room, Igor. "My, something seem to be stirring."

"What is it, Master?" The assistant, Margaret, asked.

"It seems a terrible catastrophe is on the way, and it's aiming at... our former guest."

"Him?" There is only one "him" that Margaret is referring to, and that is Souji Seta, but...

"Hehe, not just him, there was once another like him, it seems the two will cross paths with one another."

"What?"

"Observe." _Flash! _Shards of light are emanating on the room.

"...!"

They begun to form around right in front of the two, then a humanoind shape begun to take hold, with signs of life gathering around it, and then... right before it was done forming, _flash!, _it's given human appearances, blue hair, silver eyes, and a young man. "...Hm," Minato Arisato, the once former guest of this room awakens to see familiar faces, well, just Igor actually, and the room is no longer the same as ever.

"It's been a while, have you been well? Fufu, it has been some time since we met, last time you we're here, we were able to muster the correct path and ultimate power to destroy the never-ending desire of mankind to unleash destruction, and now your duty binds you here, fufu, it seems our fates are intertwined. Welcome to the velvet room, my name is Igor... no doubt you remember me, but you do not remember Margaret or this place do you? Hmhm, this is now the reflection of the journey that awaits, as we now go on a different road that leads to a truth, you are required to do the same, a new threat is coming and it's aimed directly at some people that is known to the former guest of this room, he is like you, a wild card wielder, hmhm, and like you, he has been a remarkable guest. So I'm assuming you are wondering what this catastrophe is? That too, however, is far beyond my sight at the moment, so, if I may, would you like me to read your fortune?" _Flash. _A set of tarot cards, he spread it with the wave of a hand. "Each reading is done at the same card, yet the result is always different, life itself follows the same principle, doesn't it?" _Flip. _"Hm, the Hanged man on the downward position represents the immediate future, hm, it seems everyone will be stuck on their path until you, and the former guest and a companion dealt with the catastrophe that awaits."

"Everyone will stop?"

"It seems so, even the guest of this former room will not be able to stop it, but... it may be possible that..." _Flip. _Flipping another room for the cards on the desk, he just flipped the one on the far upper right. "The Temperance, in the upright position. This card represents balance, which means... something will be done in the place where you will journey along with the former guest and the companion. Now, as for the last indication of the future..." _Flip. _"Death. In the upright position, this card represents... metamorphosist and changes... very interesting, a lone soul who is wandering the Earth, searching for a replacement of a death of an husband, this soul seems to be aware of the existences of the negative fragments, the shadows, and she seems to be also aware of your own power, as well as that place."

"...?" Minato ponders on that, he hasn't said any words just yet, but he's eager to listen.

"It seems you will encounter on ordeal on your destination, and as soon as you stepped out of this room, things will change drastically, for you, and everyone in the world. Then you will meet a lone soul, you may be able to save with all the bonds you have forged."

"..."

"In the coming days, you, the former guest and the companion will travel together and see forth that the world is restore, after that, you shall be able to live amongst the living once more, hehe, I'm sure you are eager to step put to the place where everyone is living yes? Well, then, it is time for you to move on, I shouldn't keep you here any longer, next time we meet, it will be of your own accord, until then, farewell." And then there was only flashes of light.

...At Inaba

A storm is passing by this place, after two months, this finally hits, it won't be the same as last time where after two weeks, it would rain almost about at least three or four days and there would be fog because of the humid, well, according to the weather forecast anyway, but there is another reason, and that is... _Flash! _"Hm?" A single lone figure comes appearing out in the middle of the shopping district, at her presence, fog gathered around, making visibility impossible and the town is covered in fog. This figure is a royalty looking figure in which she seems to be a very beautiful lady who is about 20 of sort, and her appearance marks that she's of a royal family or something, her skirt is about long as her dress which is a gothic lolita style, her hair which is light blonde is staggering and her eyes are emerald with a remark of confidence about her**(Same character design of Lieselotte from 11 eyes)**. "Hm, this place is... Cgr," She seems disgusted at the place, like this is a cursed place or something. "This world has gone too far to me, my husband, my dear knight... bring him baacckk-!" She yelled outloud, with her voice echoing throughout the entire district. "_gasp, gasp. _I want to reclaim him back, and if I have to rob everyone of their happiness, it's not fair!" She suddenly broke down on the ground, with an intense disturbed look, this would mark as deeply in pain or have too much undesirable stares about her, her expression, which is that of an angry frenzy, is seeking to take revenge on a world that has been unkind to her. "I will... ha ha... ha ha... ha ha ha!" She begun to laugh in a maniacal manner that some of the cats around went away and some ravens flew for not wanting to stay long in this foggy district, some of the residents also took notice of the fog outside. "I will make you mine, even if it means the end of this wretched world, everything... will be... as they were." She said that deadly remark before disappearing along with the fog.

"Huh? The fog is gone."

"Yeah, what could...?" Some of the residents find it weird that a fog would just rise out then instantly disappeared, though this town has become sort of used to having fog around, like the fog last year where the entire town was thought to be disappearing into the fog and madness spreading nowhere, the town was on a bit of frenzy has everyone starting to live in a delusional world where they think the entire world was going to end, and they were pretty damn excited about it like they're wandering around in the fog, wondering what will happen, like will a UFO will invade or something, either way, that delusional thinking was foiled by the seekers of the truth, Souji and his friends, who has defeated Ameno-sagiri, as well as the other one, the mastermind behind all the appearance of the fog in this world, as well as in the other, the shadow world, or to be more precise, the mayonaka terebi. That rumor continue still but no one takes it seriously anymore as they have some things better else in line afterall.

...Yasogami terminal

"We will be arriving at the Yasogami terminal in a few minutes, passengers bound for Inaba city and Yasoinaba station, please go to the other side of the platform." That was Souji's cue to pack up his things and exit along with some of the passengers. "I'll be back, huh?" He said, it has been two months since he left the town, now he's paying a visit back to his old friends, as well as his loved ones in this life, they have been so much together, like fighting, fighting, as well as getting along and then more and more fighting until, they finally reached the truth and that all problems can be solved through the bonds of others. "Everyone, I'm... coming... home." He said that with an almost tearful expression, Souji has learned to value the bonds of friendship, even though he's a loner and doesn't spend much time with them, he can be pretty friendly and would do anything to satisfy the situation of others, this in return has earned the affection of some females in town, like Ebihara Ai, Matsunaga Ayane, Amagi Yukiko, Kujikawa Rise and some more... like the nurse on an hospital, though it was more likely... mischievous and the other one, Minami Eri, not much of something like a crush, but affection, an affection in which she is grateful for showing her and her son what it means to be both a mother as well as a wife to a father who has a son, both are in good terms now and Souji would prefer it to be this way, his wild card ability has connected him to many places and now his world is complete, with his persona, Izanagi, transforming into its ultimate form, he finally was able to find the answer to life, much like... "Well, I guess I better get on underway."

...At Junes, at the food court

"_Sigh, _yare, yare, it's raining again huh." Yosuke is working here as usual, he's been rather lonely however, with the case solved, everyone doesn't go here anymore, well, except when they have something to buy or something to get their hands on the goods of Junes but that's about it, Chie is studying to become a police officer, much to Yosuke's own surprise, Yukiko will be undergoing training on how to manage the Amagi inn, Rise will be practicing her voice acting to get her debut back at showbitz, and Kanji... he's holding a shop or teaching class or something, he heard he has already earned the gratitude of some sewers, oh wait, that's a rude term, he's been sewing forth stitches like a clothing, teddy bears and other kind of sewing stuff, Kanji really has his terms as well his own rules, good for him he suppose, then there's Naoto, she'll be going on another case soon, so she'll be leaving town for a while, which might upset poor Kanji-kun, oh well. "At least she won't go away forever, but man, didn't aibou's passing here made a lot of girls cry, than there are stars in the sky?" He said looking about at the sky, it's raining so it's not that same pleasant spring. "_Sigh, _And I'm all alone here, wonder what kuma is up to now." He returned inside the t.v. world as far as he can remember, he's been staying there to protect it, Yosuke sometimes watches the mayonaka terebi in order to see if something happens, but so far, it seems it's the same thing, everyone's minds are focused on someone popular and a silhoutte of them would appear on t.v., it's the same, but not as dreadful as before, no murder and kidnapping stuff and etc. That's good, Namatame certainly kept his word and he was at least found innocent, given that... well, skipping that part, Adachi confessed to the murders, and now he's on trial, for life it seems, unless he makes a good record, he could step out of the prison and would have to start over. Then there's that with Izanami... she's long gone along with the fog in the other world, it's like this world except it's far more beautiful than before, but of course, the shadows are still there and they would become violent whenever there... well, not all the shadows are violent, only those that go on a blind rage or jealousy and all that stuff. "_Sigh, _I wonder, will exciting things happen again? Or... Am I... going to be a lonesome student again?" Not that he likes another catastrophe to occur, but Yosuke could ever think about is how he will have fun in his life, that's what everyone wants, happiness, and the only way he could put it is... help out people, that's where Yosuke is good at, he may not be good at educational stuff but he can be very counted for his loyalty to his friends, especially Souji who he has developed both a rivalry and friendship wherein they tend to brawl, at least once, and them getting ended up equally, then there's also Chie, who he has sort of developed fondness of to the point of... well, crush perhaps? Or... nah, best not get to that yet, he still has some for Konishi-senpai left, but he still considers Chie as... well, skipping that part, Kanji is also one of his friends, he often provide him some nutrients around the shopping department whenever he shops here for his Ma's ingredients, and then there's Kuma, who hasn't been coming out for some time now, must be busy, although Yosuke is having a hard time thinking of him of being an hardworker, that slacker chunk of honey... well, one lying sack of honey would be the best description but that guy is more of an appealing presence than helping, well, that too helps yes. "_Sigh, _I wish we could be together again, wandering together in an endless road and we will be friends again, comrades too, we will prevail again and again against the shadows and solve buffling... no, it's not just that, I want all of us to be together, that way, I'll be able to live up to everyone's expectation, I want to be..." Closing his eyes, the raindrops are like lullabies to Yosuke, he wish everyone would get together again, like was mentioned, he's very good at loyalty and would do anything to earn the friendship of others, he and Souji has developed a bond to the point that they're like brothers now and would be like that for the rest of their lives but... "Everyone has gone their way, everyone is... moving away, aibou, Satonaka... Kanji... Kuma..." Though it is rare for Yosuke to be melancholic, he cannot help but be sad at the moment.

"Oi, Yosuke, come here for a sec."

"Hai." As he goes on about his busy life, he cannot help but ponder if things will ever be the same, like they going on another crazy adventure that will lead to friendship and eventually, they will form everlasting bond together to the point they will never forget what it means to have friends, and then... the happy ending, if there would be anyway. "_Sigh, _I wish everything would stop, I can't move on like this..." As the melancholy builds up, he's the only one amongst the seeker of truths who's finding it hard to move on without someone to take his hand, so he needs to...

...At Yasoinaba

"..." A drenched in water Minato is standing by the entrance to the station, some passengers are describing him as weird, as even though there are some covers he could hide himself into, he's not hiding there under the raindrops. "..." That's not the problem, the problem is... this is all new to him, his friends, who he is fought beside with have all gone to college and him being left along here, in this... out of nowhere place, once he exited the velvet room, he finds himself in this unfamiliar environment and he finds himself... in his usual uniform of Gekkoukan High, but he's not in Port Island nor in Iwatodai, he went to this place before, during the class trip in Yasogami and Gekkoukan sportmanship in which the kendo club, as well as the tennis club, performed here to see how strong the people in the country side are compare to those in the city, but that's not what's important at the moment. "..." He looks around, he remembers at least there is a shopping district here where they sell some snacks with... well, who knows? Steaks, meat, croquette and... who knows what else? "_Sigh,_" Checking his wallet, which he is preserving from getting wet from the rain, he has at least... 1,000,000 yen, he got this from the exploration at Tartarus, the tower of the night as well as demise, it's long gone along with... well, he wouldn't count the part where humanity wishes for death to be gone, it's still there... but it won't cause any trouble, so no worries.

"Sa, please line up." A familiar voice said.

"Hm?" Minato turns to his left to see a bunch of students from the school where he came from, and the one lining them up is... "Huh?" 'Chihiro...?' Yup, it's that beautiful junior who he came to know with, she's... grow a bit taller and... breasts being more... big and... "..." He shrugs at that, she's here... she must be here for something like an exchange culture with Yasogami High but... "..." Fortunately, or unfortunately, she is not involved in him in many ways, Minato prefers it to be that way, his reclusive lifestyle is already something he is used to, and he can't drag people into his own problems, he rather solve them by himself but... it wouldn't hurt if he thinks about the bonds he forged with others, including her, that was enough to give him strength, to wait at least three years until he is reincarnated again and live once more fully and then... everyone will live... nah, the chances of him living with them again is no more put to naught, if they are in college, that must mean... they have a decent job... well, Junpei will probably earning his in some way that he deserved it and Yukari... well, she'll be probably... he did promised to one day settle the dispute between her and her mother and Minato has every intention to fulfill those promises he make, but for now, he needs something to settle in and make sure that his place among the living is secured, sort the least. "..." He hides behind the entrance in order to avoid detection from Chihiro. "She has grown, president of student council huh, hm, I'm proud." He did helped her overcome her fear of men and her getting nervous all of the sudden, then this.. this is perhaps the outcome that he has longed for for her. He sheds one tear at that. "Well then, I guess... I guess I better focus on my own problems." Not really having anywhere to go here, he has a lot of yen that he is preserving from getting wet, this is his only survival here after all. A train arrives on the station. "Hm?"

"Yasoinaba, Yasoinaba." The train intercom said.

Stepping out of the train is a silver hair, bowl shaped, student, or at least Minato could tell that he's about the same age as him, or at least he thinks so, he's carrying some bags on his shoulder. "..." He looks around, then stepping out of the station. "Hm?" He spots Minato who is drenched in water, from the raindrops.

"..."

"..." A staring contest.

"..."

"..."

"..." This is getting awkward.

"..."

"...Hm,"

"Um, are you... from around here?" He's the first to speak up, it seems Minato won.

"No." He said shrugging, as usual, Minato is at his habit of speaking only when he is being talked with and would only respond with some slight words and almost would end them in a quick manner that he prefers to give only the short details, well, except for some certain things like a report, and he would just "get along with the flow" or something like that.

"Oh, then, why are you... out here?"

"...I have no home."

"Eh?"

"..."

"..." Again, with the staring contest, it's awkward, but that's how they are. "So, you don't have a place to stay."

"None that I know of."

"Then, you should try the amagi inn, they allow customers to stay there."

"Really?" Minato remembers that, he and Kazushi would spend the night there brawling, well, speaking with passion and pride actually, and Yuko would cling into his arms when there was a slight power failure that was caused by probably one of the students who was staying there with them, that and they got off safely due to... well, Minato's silent behaviour of keeping things for himself and many other more.

"Ah, if you want, I can take you there."

"Hm, I like that."

"Hm, ja, let's go." He leads him to the shopping district, it's not far from here, it's where Souji first headed when they arrived here, at that Moel gasoline place or something.

...At the shopping district

Souji is the only one with the umbrella, but with Minato decided that he should just use it for himself, not him, which buffles Souji as to why he refuses to accept an umbrella sharing with him, not that he has an ego or something, but he's already wet enough that he doesn't mind the humid on his skin already. "Are you sure you won't need an umbrella share..."

"No, I'm fine."

"Oh, okay."

Minato has already gone through hell experience more than this, he has been through strife, to which he lost his parents, he has been to many places where none knew him, and he has dealt with death already, so why the heck he should be afraid of something like this? Experience taught in a way that it makes people stronger. "So, you're okay from here? You'll just have to..." _Shock! _A thunder shock, but... "Huh?"

"Hm?" Both felt like a sharp feeling just entered through... _Sharp! _"Gurgh!" And there is. "Urgh, urgh."

"Wh-What the...?" Both felt extremely busy and fell on their knees. "Wha... What is this?"

...From afar... at Junes.

"_Sigh, _finally done through work." As Yosuke was about to go home to his lonely district, he gets to... _Sharp! _"Huh?" Looking at the direction tha leads to the shopping district. "What the...?" _Sharp! _"Gurgh!" He falls on his knees while holding his head, he had an hallucination of something like a tidal wave engulfing the entire district. "Wha... what the...? Why do I feel... gurgh." He can't shake the feeling.

...At the shopping district...

"Gurgh, urgh... what the... what is this?" Souji asked holding his head along with Minato.

"Gurhg, guh... Seta, look." He points at the outlying field outside where there crops are planted, it's getting... flooded.

"Huh?" No, not flooded, it's... it's... tidal waves! They're gathering. "What the..." _Splaash, splaash... Splaash! _"Ah!" Both he and Minato are shocked that a tidal wave is occurring, it's like there's a storm approaching, a typhoon it seems, no, not just that, it's... _splaash, splaash...! Splaash, splaash... Splaash, SplaAASSH-! _It's a tsunami! _Splaash! _"Guah!"

"Ah!" Both teenagers are tossed away by the upcoming waves that are coming from the outlying farms of field, it's where the outskirts of the town is located where a lot of greenery can be found, the town is being hit by a tsunami, how could this... "Guah, _cough, cough, _what the..."

"What is... _cough, cough. _happening?"

"I don't know, I... I think I'm..." Both are now drenched in sweat, no, it's not sweat, water, they both been soaked thoroughly by that wave earlier. "Just what is..." _Splash! _"Ah." Something came out of the waves, a witch, or at least she looks like one except... she's beautiful, but amidst that beauty is...

"Hmhm, ha ha, now this world will pay for their sins, they say God has made man under his image, thus, His evil side also emerged and we shall all be paying for our sins! Ha ha ha!" This witch is controlling the waves it seems, on her presence, everything is red, as in the clouds above her is red, and the environment around her is red and the environment itself is... decaying. "Not much seems to have changed."

"You, who..."

"Who is that?" Both Souji and Minato take a look at her, she seems to be that of a brittish accent according to her tone, and her attire is almost that of nobility, except she's bare foot and her legs are exposed, making her more attractive but... "You..." Both teenagers try to approach her, but the waves... it's like already a sea, the side of the Inaba is flooded and the entire town might... "Who are you?" Minato's voice caught her attention.

"Hm?" She turns to the two. "You are..."

"Who are you? Why are you...? Urgh, guh."

"Hey, daijobou? Seta?"

"Ah, I..."

"Huh? Aibou?" A familiar voice. "Aibou, is that you?"

"Huh?" Turning to the left, they see Yosuke. "Yosuke, is that...?"

"Aibou, is that..."

"Ha ha, what do you know? You three are the only ones left?" The witch asked in a mocking tone.

"Huh? Hey, who...?" Yosuke turns to the witch, he's also soaked in water it seems, perhaps that huge tidal wave soaked him up to.

Flashback...

On Yosuke's way to the shopping district, he is soaked in wet as he did not brought his umbrella with him, and worse than that, he's feeling an headache for some reason. "Gurgh, urgh, what is... Huh?" He sees something... a... a... a tsunami! It's heading his way! "W-Wa-Waah! Ahh!" _Splaash, splaash, SPLAASH! _He got tossed to the side of a building, getting drenched in by the water and him feeling like he's just been through underwater due to that wave. "Guah! _cough, cough, _what the?" The entire side of Inaba is... flooded, no, it's... it's... it's sinking! "Wh-What the?" The crops are flooded, the grassland could no longer be seen, the entire district is... about to be flooded. "What the... I-Is this... is this a typhoon or something?" Strong winds starting to ablew, they're destroying half of the town, the funny thing is, where is everyone? Shouldn't they be panicking or something? He wonders that outloud. "Huh?" The entire district is... empty, there is no one by the road and the Junes is... all but ruins now, that tidal wave seems to have annihilated the entire outpost. "What the..." And even still, there's no sign of anyone. "Just what... what the HELL IS GOING ON HERE!" He yelled outloud while fleeing in terror, the only place he could think of is go to the shopping district since that's the most higher place, it's far from the Samegawa riverside and the crops side... can't rely on that.

End of Flashback

"Aibou, what are you- how did you- what the hell is going on here!"

"I don't know, I..."

"Ha ha, sinful sons of man, I am glad really, you are the only ones who get to be the real challenge it seems." The witch said mockingly with her confident expression.

"You, who are you? Are you...?" Yosuke asked if she's responsible for all of this, the chaos, the tsunami and everyone going missing, not even a single resident is here.

"Ha ha, if you are referring to the salvation that awaits this place, as well as the rest of the world, yes, I am restoring the world to its former glory."

"What? What are you...?"

"Just who are you anyway!" Souji said angrily, the thought of everyone here disappearing, after Yosuke's explanation earlier, the thought of it, well, it's unnerving, Nanako, Dojima, Yukiko, Rise, Naoto, Kanji... Everyone, in school, outside the school and... "What did you do to everyone!"

"Gr, Chihiro." Minato wonders if Chihiro is now on the same fate as everyone. "Gr," This made him angry, he's clunching his fist.

"Ha ha, fear not, for you shall join them soon, but... I would like to see your potential, how about it? Sinsful sons of man, show me your raw potential, show me if you can be a replacement for my dead knight! Arrgh!" The witch let out a sadistic smile as she charges through with incredible speed, _splaash, crash, crash, crack! _

"Guah!"

"Urgh!"

"Ahrgh!" The three are sent flying to the side as the side of the road is demolished and some of the waves followed through in her coming, she's floating on the middle section of the road.

"Hmhm, what's the matter? Is that all the strength you got? It's a wonder you survived this long, I would have expected that this wretched world would be nothing more but a wasteland by now."

"What...? Gurgh," Yosuke and the others try to regain their composure.

"Just what are you trying to do here?" Souji asked wiping off the dirt on his cheek, as well as the blood on it.

"_gasp, _she's not normal, she has powers, like us." Minato said.

"We know that, we can already see." That much is obvious, as Yosuke stated, she's a witch, with babylon accent. "Who are you? Why won't you introduce yourself first?"

"Hmph, I suppose a proper introduction won't be too hard, very well, to introduce myself, I am... ha ha, I am once known as Luna, but I changed that name and now I am... ha ha, I am nothing more than an old hag they say," She lets out a sadistic expression as she said that with her arms spread. "They say I was mad, that I was getting too lovey-dovey with my husband and now I am nothing more but an hag who is far beyond my time and now I am... ha ha... I am... ha ha, I am nothing more known as the witch of Babylon!" _Wavvee! Whoosh, whoosh! _

"Guah!"

"Ah!" Violent tremors occur as wind gather around her, they're rotating like tornadoes, this is causing some of the structure around to be demolished as they are absorbed by the winds and the entire town is nothing more but a ghost town now, with everyone gone, the textile shop of Kanji is all but ruins, it's been blown away by the tides, and some of the buildings in this shopping district are blown away as well, no more structure is within ground, the witch has destroyed Inaba, unlike before, it was just covered in fog and no one knows the real danger of that.

"Th-The... The shopping district..." Yosuke couldn't believe it, with fear and anxiousness running through him, he cannot comprehend if this is even real. "No, this... this..." He stares at the ruins. "No, it can't... all those..." All those fond memories, with Chie... with everyone else, Kanji, Rise, Naoto, the juniors, Souji, Kuma, him... all those fond times they spend together, this place of memories... in... ruins... he can't... he can't... "NOOOOO-!" He yelled that outloud, with his voice echoing throughout the entire Inaba district. "Nooo-!"

"Yosuke!" Souji tends to his distraught friend, he cannot stand up, rather, he cannot comprehend reality at the moment. "Yosuke!"

"Aibou, I... _sob, sob, _we... lost... it... everything... those fun times we spent together... aibou... aibou... _sob._"

"Yosuke... _sniff, _ah. Ah." The two hug, Souji hugging him, they did this before in the Samegawa river, Souji would be there for Yosuke no matter what.

"..." Minato cannot help but feel pity at Yosuke, and Souji, this was their place of memories, Minato knows what it means to feel loss more than anyone else, he almost lost a friend from a brutal killer in the place he used to stay in, that friend ended up in a coma at the hospital, but he survived somehow and he was saved through their bond, then a friend of a friend, a romantic interest actually, she survived through the flowers she has revived and has required the life energies through them, but unfortunately... she couldn't remember, but now... Minato wished that friend good luck in helping her recover her memories but... he never got the result of it. "..." A single tear drops on Minato's left eye, simplifying that he's simply sad, he does not show this much but he did felt sad at certain degree for the actions of others, and him being wallow about the sorrow his friends went through, to Junpei, he resented his father and his life became complexed at the mixture of him being unable to find his meaning in life as well as failing to protect his love interest, Yukari lost both of her parents, well, her mom didn't die but she got separated from here, Mitsuru lost her father and now she's on the sole responsibility of ruling the kirijo group with some support from the staff around, Akihiko lost his sister and Shinji... well, he later returned and Ken... loosing his mother, his last parent, and his relatives taking care of him... living a reclusive lifestyle where he never gets to get outside much and the only pillar of support he got are from Minato, Akihiko and Shinjiro to some degree, and then Fuuka, the one who has less experience in such things only left her parents to get some time with her alone in her lifestyle that is also full of isolation and Moriyama being her only friend in school... well aside, from them anyway and then Aegis... she's finally... human, but... Minato never got to her much, other than he helped her discover what it means to be joyous in life. And now, he's seeing something similar to which someone is feeling lost and forgotten of their purpose the wish for death... is certainly... "..." He can't have that, if there's one thing he learned in life, that a solution to one's death is something no one should ever embrace, if they did, then people like him better show those fools reality, and what is means to enjoy life to the fullest, no matter how painful it may be, people can seek happiness, and even in the most bottomless pit one can be, there is light, one must seek it, one must show it, one must embrace it! Minato pulls out a gun, an evoker in fact, and shows his calm and stoic style demeanor by not showing any fear in pointing a gun at his temple, so... Closing his eyes... "Per... so... na...!" _Bang! Flash! _There it was, the accumulated bond of friendship and love he has forged these three years, Orpheus Telos.

"Thou art I, and I am thou, from the sea of thy soul, I cometh, I am Orpheus, master of strings." There it was, the symbol of Minato's world that is full of salvation and rejuvenation. "Arrgh!" It turns to the witch.

"Hm? My, you seem capable, you're not what you appear to be in fact, perhaps, that is the reason why you are still alive in this world?" The witch said mocking him a bit. "Well then, show me, handsome lad, your true power, show me, if you are the proper replacement for my worthless, dead husband!" _Wavve, shoock! _She sent out a shockwave towards Minato.

_Flash, flash! _Minato summoned two arcana cards, both he formed with Mamoru as well as the Nyx Annihilation team, then... _Flash, bloock, bloock-! _An invincible barrier is erected, protecting him, Yosuke and Souji.

"Huh?" Souji turns to him while comforting a mentally distraught Yosuke. "You..." He then realized he's a persona user like them. "..."

"Huh?" Even the witch seems bewildered that her attack couldn't penetrate that kind of defense, she is known as the dreadful witch of Babylon as well as lust and temptation, her beauty is used for temptation and her strength is a sign of fear from her. "You..."

"No power can penetrate a bond, no matter how powerful you may be, you cannot break free of my own volition." Minato said with a glare towards her, his persona Orpheus Telos is in front of him.

"Arrgh!" And it's glaring at her with the same expression he has, his and Orpheus's face is almost the same, except it doesn't talk, but it does show expression..

"Gr," The witch is caught up in a challenge, the surrounding becomes reddish red and the ruins of Inaba is like being reflected on this dark, chaotic, catastrophic place like an apocalypse has occurred. "You are... ha ha, you are more than capable of what you seem, good." She licks her lips hungrily. "You're more of something I was expecting, good, because a good challenge is a good recipe for disaster!" _Blaave! _She sent out another shockwave.

"Hm!" _Block, boom! _This time Minato used Orpheus Telos to block it, resulting in a clash power and an explosion.

"Hm!" Souji decided to pitch in. He left Yosuke for a bit then... "Let's go, Izanagi!" _Flash! _

"Huaargh!" And there it was, the manifestation of Souji's bond with everyone else. "Everyone, let's go!" He said reaching out to his friends and love ones somewhere, they can't be gone, then he saw their faces and it has strengthened him to go further, and so... "Hiyaa!"

"Haarrgh!" Izanagi-no-okami rotated its sword in a fast way then pointing it towards the witch,

"Ahh!"

_Blaast! Blast! _It lets out a ray of light, that is of the light of truth. _boom! _"Hnmgh! Grugh," The witch seems to be hurt by that maximum capacity of power.

"Hmph, hm." _Flash!, flash! _Souji lets out another persona card, this time it's... Yoshitsune, this one he learns from a certain someone. "Go, Yoshitsune!"

"Huah!" _Slash, slash, slash! _Multiple slash marks came bisecting the witch, though she remains in her place unaffected due to some spell barrier that allows her to be impregnable like the wavering fog around, with Inaba in ruins, and the sky is red as blood, this place is like hell, much like the hellish version of Inaba in Tohru Adachi's inner thoughts in the midnight channel.

"Huaah!"

"Ahh!" _Slash, slash, slash! _Souji didn't stopped there however, he kept slashing through the witch's defenses.

"Gr," Which puts her to the edge.

"About this then..." Minato lets out two arcana cards, these ones are that of the powerful ones, which can cause... "Ah." This one he gains from the star as well as the nyx annihilation team, this is... Armageddon. "Ah... Arrgh!" _Blaast, blaast, blaasst-! _Then like a wave of thunder or electricity bursting out of the ground, he sent it towards the witch, destroying the surrounding as well. _Crack, crack, crash, boom, boom, BOOM! _

"Guaah!" That sent her to the edge alright, the barrier didn't last long and she is sent flying to the side of the road in front of the Daidara store. "Gurh, ah."

Then Souji and Minato come rushing to her, Yosuke is still in distraught to rise up. "Ahrgh!"

"Ahhrgh!" Both wild cards let out all the persona card they can in retiliation for what she did to this place as well as their friends. "Go, helel!" _Flash! _This one is out of Kuma, a shadow who has developed human conciousness inside the midnight channel, and this one is for Nanako! "Go, Sraosha!" _Flaash! _Then this one for Yukiko! "High Pixie!" _Flaash, freeze, shatter! _ "Go, Pyro Jack!" _Ablaaze, ablaaze, ablaaze! _This one is for his best friend, Yosuke!

"_sob, sob, _I... I..." Who is stil in distraught, I... I... Things like I can't do anything runs through his thoughts then... _Flash. _"Huh?" A certain card appears right before him, then it turns into a butterfly... "This is..." The butterfly looks at him, as if smiling, then... _flash, flash! _Then it begun to glow brightly, signifying an awakening or something. Then a voice calls...

"You shall be the next contractor in this velvet room along with our guests who were once here, hehe."

"I..." _Flash! _Then an empty card appears on his grasp. This one is... a new persona. _Flash, flaash...! _It's... "I..." _Flash! _A new persona, and this one is... Takehaya Susano-o. "I..." _Flash! _Rage fills Yosuke as the thought of everyone seeing justice not done is too... unbearable, one... can become blind... into a fitting rage of... "Argh... argh... Arrgh! Arrrghh-!" He rushes towards the witch.

"Yosuke!" Both Souji and Minato stop dead at their tracks at the enraged Yosuke.

"Arrgh!"

"Arrgh, arrgh!" Then with his rage being reflected on his persona, Takehaya Susano-o, he let out an angry roar and a fist towards the witch. _Thuddcht! _He let out all of his anger in that punch, followed by the flames of rage flowing through him into that witch.

"Guh!" Who is sent flying further into the shopping district, the clouds are reddish and almost all the buildings are lost, they are now all in ruins and the entire district is... flooded, the sea, which is not really from the sea itself, but a lot of water is gathering, Yosuke and the other two are not sure whether they can remain at this place long as any moment now the entire town will be engulfed by the tsunami around them.

"This isn't good." Souji said.

"Ah, if we stay here, we'll have a hard time breathing with all this water engulfing us." Minato said.

"I don't care, Satonaka and the others... they're gone, and..." _Flash. _Reflecting his rage upon his persona, "I'm gonna leave while this bitch remains unpunished! Hiyaa!" _tap, tap! _He charges forward.

"Yosuke!"

"Stop!" Both of them try to stop him.

"Hiyaa!" He charges forth towards the witch.

"Hmph, idiot peasant, just like all the rest." _Wave, blaast! _

"W-Waah!" Yosuke is sent flying by an intensifying blast that emerged out of the witch.

"Yosuke!" "Hey!" Both Souji and Minato tend to him.

"Hmph, though I do admit, you did scratched me there a bit, hmph, mortals sure have their way isn't it? Just like the shinigami of death is here to take us all... I want... my husband, he wanted to destroy the world for its pessimistic nature and I... will continue through it, and once I delivered all to the salvation, everything shall begin again and everything will disappear! Ha ha ha!" The witch said floating once again and things are gathering around her, like the mailbox to the side, and the fences around are circling around in circle around her. "Now, to end you fools' struggle, I shall deliver you all personaly, ha ha! ha ha ha!" A black moon emerged... or is it descend out of the sky? The reddish sky is clearing up, revealing a black moon with an eye.

"Huh?" Minato recognizes this sight, a moon with a eye... this is... "Nyx."

"With the harbinger of death within my command, I shall deliver all, everything will be reduce to where they were! Ashes were man with and ashes shall they become!" All sort of calamity begun to occur, the surrounding is being torn apart and the waves around the sides are getting violent, then... huge tidal waves are about to... about to... about to engulf the entire town! _Splaash, spllaash, SPLAASH-! _They're enclosing around!

"Ah! A-Aibou!"

"Yosuke!" Both hug each other as if trying to save one another from the tidal waves. _Wavve, wavvee, waaave, Splaash! _They are enclosing, the red colored sky is coming to a close. Then there will be nothing but darkness soon, but... with a shinigami bringing death to negativity...

"I will..." Minato remembers a valuable lesson into this sort of thing, when things begun to feel like nothing make sense anymore, one must rely on not one's strength but... flashes of all the people he has known come to him, with Aegis being the last and then... a certain someone who he has both fought and befriend with, a shadow with human emotion who has formed out a bond with him and this bond will be their entity together as... "Hmph," With a sharp glare, Minato summons a persona card and...

"Hm?" This catches the witch's attention. "That's..."

_Flash! _Crushing the card with his fist, he summons... "Grooaar!" The god of death, Thanatos, the manifestation of his bond with someone, who is now... One... with... them. "Hm, Ryoji." An image of him is shown beside him, then he returns back to wherever he came from, but not very far, very near.

"Ah, _gasp._" The witch is in state of shock as he continues to stare at her with a menacing tone and glare. "You're..." She recognized him as someone else, someone who wanted to become death itself and wanted to destroy the world, this one is... Minato being the shinigami in this era. "You are... my... darling... I..." Tears roll down on her eyes, and cheeks. "_gasp, gasp, _I..." She barely could contain something, is this happiness? Joy? Or... "You are..." She forms a smile. "You are..." Then seeing Minato again, her delusion is gone for now and right now, she sees a new shinigami in this era, someone who... someone who... who can end... her torment, along with... her own... vanity. "I... darling." She is suddenly in high joy but...

"Hmph," _blast, blast! _Minato fired energy balls towards her, Megidolaon, as he put it, then all of them accumulated together. _boom, boom! _This destroyed her dress a bit, and put a scratch on her body, making her sort of revealing since her skirt is badly damaged.

"Ha ha." That doesn't seem to bother her though, she just keeps approaching a glaring intense Minato. "You, ha ha, darling, I..." She keeps approaching him, landing on the ground with bare feet and her sort of becoming lovey-dovey at the moment. "Ha ha."

"Hm,"

"Grooaar!" Minato didn't stopped assaulting her though, _slash, slash, slice! _Thanatos unleashed brutal raging attacks on her, destroying the top of her dress, then her torso, revealing her bra, then... "Grooaar!" Then the bottom, leaving her only with bra and panties, that didn't stopped her from approaching him still though, she merely gives a gracious, joyous smile.

"Darling." She wraps Minato in her arms, then, staring at him. "Hmhm, he he."

"Hm?"

"Ah." _chu. _A kiss, this is like a sign of affection but...

"..."

"..." Both remain this way as the waves gather around, enclosing the town and...

"Aibou! We're gonna die!"

"Yosuke!"

"Ahh!" _Splaash, splaash, SPLLAASH-! _And then the entire district is covered with water, leaving nothing else but ocean, the entire country of Japan has been flooded, there are no more lands, only oceans, and...

...Velvet room...

"Master."

"Hm, I suppose it is time," Igor gather up shards of truth. "Now then, we need to see the truth, otherwise those children will not attain enlightenment."

"Hm," Margaret nods at that. _Flash, flaash! _Then the room is engulfed with bright, golden, radiant light.

...Real world...

_Splaash, splaash, splaash! _As the waves continue, Minato, Souji and Yosuke were absorbed by the waves. "Ahh!"

"Mmnggrgh!"

"Hmngh, hmgnh!" The three are dragged away by the current, it's kinda dark here in the sea, with the clouds turning red, the environment is like a blackish version of the world, meaning hell, where everything is in ruin except some certain things, but no more cities can be sighted. "Hmmgnhgh." Minato could see the witch floating above the ocean still as they struggle to breath but to no avail, the currents are just too strong for them to struggle. "Hm,"

"Ha ha, darling, I... I..." The witch is happy still as she sees Minato gets drag away by the current. _Splaash, splaash! _Then as the waves cover her and Minato get drags away by the current along with Souji and Yosuke, she's the only one left in the world. "Ha ha, ha ha... I found... I found... my darling... again, ha ha, ha ha... ha ha ha... ha ha ha!" Then she begun runting like a madman or madwoman, the world now stands in ruin, what will happen now with the inhabitants disappearing and only three remains, what will happen? What will happen to the future now?

End of chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

**Persona 4: Bonds Beyond Dimension**

**Chapter 2: A Ruin World of... Chaos**

...Somewhere, on an outskirts...

"Oi, Hanamura, wake up." Tag. Tag. Minato shakes up Yosuke who is lying on the ground with grasses, they are on a foggy place that seems to be full of grasses and everything around is... foggy, more than that, their current location is absolutely... unknown.

"Ah... ah... Hm?" Yosuke wakes up groggily, not because he's sleepy but because, due to all the trauma he has experienced, he'll probably believed that all of those horrifying experiences were all just... nightmares, if that is possible. "Hey, are we... dreaming? Or the world has gone mad?"

"No, not the whole world, just you."

"Oh. ... ...H... Huh? Hey, wait a minute." He stood up, last time he checked, they were being carried away by the current of the sea and now they're inland. "How did we...? Aren't we supposed to be...?" He looks around attentively while looking out for anything unusual.

"Dead? No, we're still alive, last time we're..."

...Flashback...

"Hmmnrgh! Mhrgh...! Mnrgh..." Yosuke lost all of his breath and fainted while being drifted away by the current.

"Yosuke-! Hmgrgh!" Souji tends to him while Minato follows behind, the three of them are being engulfed by a typhoon here in the middle of the... the abyss, not any fish creatures are within sight and there doesn't seem to be... or rather, there are less oxygen in this area, they can't survive here. "Mmngrgh! Mrngh!" The water is salty too, with this dark sea engulfing everything, they can't...

"Over here." A voice said as a light illuminated from the dark.

"Hm?" They turn to it, there they see... Margaret.

"Over here, hurry."

"Margaret!" Souji said while holding Yosuke, his hand is on his shoulder as he is being carried by him. Minato is the first to swim through the light followed by the pair. "Yosuke, wake up, we're saved, we're..."

End of Flashback...

"Eh? We're... saved by this Margaret person?"

"Ah, they should be..."

"You're awake Yosuke." Souji comes out of the fog along with the savior, Margaret.

"You're all here, good."

"Hey, you're..." This is the first time Yosuke has seen Margaret so he's quite bewildered at her beauty. "You're..."

"Nice to meet you, I am Margaret, I am here to aid you in your journey."

"J-Journey? Hey, wait, what happened... what happened to Inaba?"

"The place you speak of is... well, off-charted would be the best description, it's out of... well, it is suffice to say you cannot go back there, it's being engulfed by a bewildering fog of delusion that it's impossible for anyone to enter through it, if you dare do it, you will find yourself being on a frenzy of madness and die out of pure madness as well." Now that's a warning.

"Uh..." Yosuke isn't sure if he gets it though.

"I think that might answer your question Yosuke, oh, I mean, Hanamura." Perhaps feeling sort of kinship with Yosuke that Minato feels like calling him as such, by first name that is, and pointed a rounded... planet? Circular thing that is engulfed by red fog?

"Huh? That's..." It's above them, they environment is somewhat unorthodox as the environment seems to lack any... mannerism? Like the nature of the wind passing by and some of the grasses here feel like they can be solid at times and the rest... "By the way, where... is this?"

"Mayonaka terebi." Souji said.

"Oh, I... see. Wait, what?"

"That's right, this is the hallow forest you and Souji had ventured into this past year, you are now once again on its background, as the world now stands before the precipice of change, the world will now experience the true meaning of delusion, you three will have to settle all disturbance by yourselves I'm afraid, I am merely to accompany you and... Souji-kun, are you..." Throughout his time in the velvet room, Souji and Margaret did interact with one another, even kissed, but he dare not say it to Nanako, Yukiko, Rise and many other women he has formed bonds with, secrets can be hidden from others, even loved ones, afterall.

"I'll be fine, so, is... um..." Concerning Igor, Yosuke still haven't met him, so this might be his first time being a "contractor" without meeting the boss himself, sort to speak.

"Hm? What is it?" Yosuke asked.

"Nevermind about that," Minato stood up from his position. "Right now we should focus on two things, there are some things you should be discussed about Hanamura."

"What is it?"

"One; this world is as you know is the reflection of one's dark thoughts, this is the only place that is safe for you at this moment," Margaret explains. "I would like you to also know that the people in the world did not vanished, they are there, at that dark sphere of delusion that witch has erected from the face of the world." They turn to that circle thing that is covered with red fog.

"That's... what is it, exactly?"

"Hm, I suppose it is only fair to inform you of such thing, that thing you see there is your world, you cannot access it right now due to it being filled with fog, the people in the world are right now slumbering you might say, everyone has been engulfed by the hallow forest, this forest will be your venturing forth of data, you will find information here as well as supplies."

"Huh? But... isn't this world?"

"Look?" Margaret points up ahead, beneath the fog stands a... village? "This is one of the few places you should visit, sa, I should be gone for a while. Farewell." She disappears into thin air.

"Huh? H-Hey, Margaret-san!" No response. "Margaret-san!"

"It's no use, she won't hear us out, we better find things on our own." Minato said.

"Right, starting with that village." Souji said.

"Geez, what the heck, after all those horrifying experiences... this is much more worse when you were around here, Satonaka, everyone... what ever happened to them? Will we... see them?" Yosuke asked desperately.

"Of course we will." Souji said with a nod. "We'll make sure of that no matter what."

"Aibou."

"Right, but first things first..." Minato said.

"Huh? Sensei? Yosuke?" A familiar voice.

"Hm?" Everyone turns to right direction. "W-What the...? Kuma?" Yup, it's their favorite mascot bear, Kuma. He's a bear after all.

"Yosuke? Is that you? And sensei!" He gives him a bear hug, by tackling him down with that full, heavy body of his, sort the least.

"..." Minato regards his presence without much expression.

"S-Sensei! I miss you-kuma!"

"K-Kuma, I miss you too, now get off." He said pushing him off.

"Kuma, are you... real?" Yosuke asked in disbelief.

"Huh? Of course I'm real, but... there's something weird going on, the environment around is... wetty."

"Huh? Wetty?"

Looking about, there are swams about the area, is this some kind of swamp village. "Some weird places appeared here-kuma, Kuma did not know what to do."

"Kuma, did something... when we weren't here before... did something happened?"

"Huh? Well... kuma doesn't know but... after a while when I was playing just the nearby pond here kuma, something very weird happened, everything around changed and this fog is returned, kuma."

"This fog... you mean it wasn't here before?"

"Nuh ah, it wasn't here until I meet you again and sensei. Oh, wait, is this... is another ordeal taking place?"

"How should I know? We... ugh... dammit, hey, kuma, you better take me seriously, cause... cause something serious happened in our world, it seems to be connected to this place again, what is it!"

"Huh? Your world?"

"Our world is gone! We don't have a place to return! What are we supposed to do! You must know something!"

"K-Kuma..."

"Yosuke, calm down, kuma is getting agitated." Souji tries to reason.

"But..."

"Yosuke."

"..."

"Kuma, can you tell us something? Like what happened here during our absence?"

"Sensei... hm, well, it begun just about earlier when suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on my beary head, and then I felt like everything is changing, all of the shadows around here disappeared and I'm the only one left, I felt kinda lonely after that, soon after, I saw that, kuma." He points at the round object that is engulfed with fog, red fog.

"Hm, that's our world." Minato said.

"Hm, it seems we cannot go back to our world for a while." Souji said.

"Sensei?"

"Kuma, something serious happened, everyone in the world is..."

"They are fine, Margaret told us they were just being put to sleep, and they... well, some of them were mentioned to have been summoned here as well, it could be your friends who also has persona powers."

"Huh?" Huh?" Everyone is shocked at what Minato said.

"R-Really?" Yosuke asked excitedly.

"Why not? It seems to me only persona-users can enter this place, so I assume your friends also has one?"

"I... y-yeah, but... when we were there, I felt like... everyone... banished, how could they be..."

"Um, kuma does not understand, can you all tell me what's going on?"

...Later...

"Hm, this is all... confusing, so some witch called the witch of... uh..."

"Witch of babylon."

"Oh right, witch of babylon-kuma, has messed up your world and now she's... uh..."

"We don't know where she is, do you guys know?" Yosuke asked the two to which they shrug. "I see, ja, did Margaret."

"She didn't gave us that kind of info." Souji said.

"Oh, I see."

"Huh? Margaret?" Kuma asked.

"It's... a long story, anyway, what should we do? We can't just hidle here, we need to do something, like..."

"Like what?" Minato asked.

"I don't know, but we can't just stand around here and do nothing."

"True, but first, I think we need to get into that village, let's go." Everyone heeded Souji's advice and they all head to the village that is foggy with Kuma with them, like he has joined the party in an RPG game.

...Unknown village...

"What is this place? Some kind of... outlying village?"

"I don't know."

"Aibou, are you sure we should be here? Who knows what..."

"Who is there?" A soft voice asked.

"Hm?" Everyone turns to it and someone comes out of the fog. "...!" Minato is shocked, this is... 'Fuuka?' This girl that is standing before them is dressed in an... oddly enough, an Arabian outfit in which her belly is exposed and her pants are quite long and her top are almost just the size of her upper torso, not up to her belly. "..." She bears a striking resemblance with Fuuka, one of Minato's comrades who he has formed a bond as well as romantic relationship along with some other girls in his former group who were... that's not important, either way, Minato knows she's not Fuuka as she is the size of Yukari, well, not just her, but she's about the size of any ordinary high school girl and she's more... fragile in a way.

"Huh? Hey, who...?" Yosuke is the first to asked.

"Ooh, someone else is here kuma."

"Ah... T-The bear... kuma-san... spoke up?" The girl is agitated at Kuma speaking.

"Hm? Is it strange to hear me talk-kuma?"

"Um... uh..."

"O-Oi, kuma, you're scaring her. Ahem, um, excuse me, uh..." Yosuke is the first to approach her.

"Y-Yes?"

"Um, do you know... what place this is?"

"Eh? Um... this is... the village doesn't have a name, it has been here for a long time."

"...? Huh?" This place has been here for a long time huh... something foul play is at work. Souji and Minato guessed that, both are geniuses in their own way. "This place... has been here before?"

"Hai."

"..."

Some other residents of this place started emerging out of their homes, most of which are wooden made and most of them are... from the modern era of which women are commonly housewives while men would work under the militia or something. This is similar to the medieval era of... well, not important but these type of people give you the feeling of something like that has happened in the medieval era, and this is not that era. "..." The three, four if including kuma, feel uneasy with all the stare they receive as they are laid eye upon the entire residents here. A lot of whispering and...

"Uh... W-We were just... passing by and..." Yosuke said.

"Who are you people? Why have you come here?" One man goes upfront to ask them, with him are two body guards with iron helmet, yup, this is like the medieval era.

"Uh..." Yosuke sweat drops at this guy's presence.

"What is going on here?" A crimson hair woman comes out, she wears a red outfit, compare to all the women around here, she seems to be the most attractive one.

"...!" Minato is in shocked again, this girl, with her crimson long hair, and her eyes which are crimsoned as well, bears a striking resemblance to Mitsuru. "..." But... like the other girl, he knows this is not Mitsuru, and that girl is not Fuuka.

"Are you accomplices to that intruder we caught earlier?"

"Eh? Intruder?"

Yosuke is asked by the rough man. "That's right, she claims she doesn't know where she is, so we just gave her some lodging place to stay in one of our shacks and she just said she'll be going but then we realized since she posses something that is so forbidden here."

"And... what is it?"

"This!" He presents a... steak. "This is forbidden here! Carnivorous are barbarians!"

Yosuke and the others sweat drop at that. "Uh, you... forced her into... uh, a dungeon just because she ate... a steak?"

"Is this what you call it? What- Wait, the fact that you know of it, must mean... you are intruders!" Four guards with spears came up to them.

"Huh? H-Hey, wait, you got it-"

"Seize them, bring them to the gallows!"

"Huh? H-Hey, wait a sec! Hey!" They are seized up, Souji and Minato didn't resisted since they see little point of it, they can get out whenever they can anyway, given that they have persona powers.

"S-Sensei!"

"Relax kuma, let's just get along well with them."

"O-Okay."

"H-Hey, aibou, do something!"

"I humbly apologize and surrender." He said raising his hands with handcuffs then lying before the ground.

"That's not what I meant!" Yosuke snaps.a

"What is going on here?" The crimson hair young woman asked the rough man.

"These people are intruders, just like that carnivorous girl we caught, bring them to the gallows!"

"Hai!"

"H-Hey, wait! Dammit, I said wait! Wait damn you!"

Yosuke keeps resisting as he got seized up while they are hanging him above. "Relax Yosuke, we'll be fine." Souji assures.

"How can we be okay? They're accusing us of whoever that intruder is!"

"That intruder must be someone you know, given that she's not of this place, perhaps... someone who loves steak as someone you know?" Minato asked giving him some hints in an unintentional way.

"Eh? Hm," think... think... think... _tick! _A light bulb on Yosuke's head. "Oh it's... uh... eh? You mean... S-Satonaka?"

"Yeah, she must be in here." Souji said while being hanged on an upside down position as they dragged him while his feet are attached to a wooden pole as they carry him.

"She's here? Then..."

"Right, like I said, the others must be here as Arisato said, let's get along for now."

"O-Okay." The three are carried along while...

"Guah, it's too rough-kuma, give me some air." Kuma is tied up in a laying position while he's attached to a wooden pole, surprisingly, despite his size, he seems to be light as the guards are having little difficulty in carrying him. "S-Sensei!"

...Meanwhile, at the gallows...

"Hey, what's the meaning of this, let me go! Let me go!"

"Uh, Chie, please... don't get so stubborn, they might kill us if we... huh?" Chie and Yukiko are here, their hands are tied up, well, stucked actually, and their heads are in a position of... beheading, in other words, they are on a gallow. Then they spotted familiar faces. "That's..."

"Hm?"

"S-Satonaka?"

"H-Hanamura?"

"Yukiko?" Souji is glad to see someone familiar here, as well as...

"Ah, Souji-kun!" A love interest no less.

"Yukiko."

"Souji-kun." Both faces are within reach, while Souji is on an upside position, his face can reach Yukiko, but unfortunately, they can't reach each other because of their position, Souji is on an upside down position while his hands and feet are tied to a wooden pole that is being carried by these guys. Yukiko is attached to a gallow that is yet to be... well, not counting on it to be persecuted by these guys, but this is just plain rudeness in treating girls.

"Yosuke, wha- What have you been up to?" Chie asked, she has an habit to call Yosuke by first name now and then because of... close contact or something.

"I should be asking you that, because of your steak favorism that we got in trouble." Yosuke said while being unattached by the guards then they hang his head on a gallow in the same manner of the two girls. "Ow, hey." Then it got attached on him with his hands incapacitated and his head as well, well, the beheading part is something he's not counting for.

"..." Both Souji and Minato receive the same treatment.

"Hey, chief, this one here, I'm having a hard time putting him on one."

"K-Kumaa!" Right, since kuma has a head that is not... well, not human, he's having a hard time putting his head on the gallow. "S-Senseii!"

"Hmph, leave him, we'll save him for the roasting later."

"R-Roast?"

"Ah, they're gonna cook you kuma."

"N-Noo!" Yosuke's words didn't bring word of comfort.

"Uh, you want to scare him?" Chie sweat drops at that. "Anyway, what are you doing here? Shoudn't you be...?"

"How should I know? Last time we were on our world I was... I was..." The world, the real world, is covered in fog right now that it's probably something that is not real right now, given the sense that it seems the witch of babylon has succeeded in filling it with fog of delusions wherein both Ameno-sagiri and Izanami did not, or was foiled in their plans.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

"Alright! As penalty for defying the law of being only vegeterian around here, I order you all to death!" The village chief while stomping his halberd on the ground to which some men in the village yell with exclamation of excitement of this execution of sort.

"Um, Souji-kun, why are they executing us?" Yukiko asked naively.

"Don't know, they seem to be... I don't know, they don't want to listen to reason, they're senseless."

"You're the senseless! Carnivorous are forbidden! The god of meat will not allow that!"

"Huh?" The group sweat drop at that, god of meat huh?

"Excuse me? God of... what?" Yosuke asked bewildered as well as dumdfounded.

"I said god of-"

"Wait," The crimson young woman steps forth. "Let them go, they didn't mean to do this."

"But Minette-san, we-"

"I'll take full responsibility, these foreigners are not barbarians, you cannot expect everyone to follow our culture." She seems reasonable enough.

"But... our orders from the god of meat..."

"He's not here, we can ask him for forgiveness later, besides... there has been undermining activities that seem to suggest that our god has abandoned us."

"Hm?" The group have question mark on their heads, about that.

"Well yes, but... no dare to challenge him and..."

"Then I say we release them, the god hasn't been in favor of us and these people look innocent, release them." The crimson girl said waving her hair as she leave.

"...Hai." The chief reluctantly let go of the group.

"Whew, now that's more like it." Yosuke said.

"Whew, wah, I feel like a million box already." Chie said.

"That's much more relief." Yukiko said.

Souji and Minato were released respectively. "Um, are you okay?" The girl resembling, Fuuka, asked.

"Yeah, we're... fine." Minato cannot shrug off the image of Fuuka on this girl, they look exactly alike, but he also knows they are not the same. "..."

"Hm? What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Not to be remind of something sad, he just moved away from her.

"..." Which seem to have saddened her. "Um, if there's something I can do..."

"Just stay safe, that is enough."

"Eh?" He walks away afterwards.

"Well, what do we do now?" Yosuke asked.

"If I may ask, who are you people?" The girl, Minette-san, it seems asked. "We haven't heard any other visitors around here other than barbarians in the wilds."

"Uh..." Yosuke stummered while looking at the others for answers, to which Chie shrug, as well Souji. "Well, we're... visitors, you might say."

"Visitor huh? Well, if you're here, you might as well leave because our god will not look kindly on your presences."

"Huh? God?"

"Yes, our god, the god of meat, or so he claims, he claims he needs meat to survive and that if we disobey him by eating meat, he'll have all our heads, many of our warriors already challenged him and they died."

"..." The group feels even more bewildered, they gather around to discuss things, with Minette having a question mark on her head. "Hey, guys, could this be... an RPG world?" Yosuke asked.

"I don't know, last time I check, I was on my way to tha croquette shop and then suddenly I found myself here, they even gave me food at first but when I mentioned and ate steak, they just became hostile."

"Me and Chie met up here, I... disappeared... in our lobby at the inn."

"Yeah, and then we found you guys."

"Hm, I see, well..." Yosuke, Souji and Minato were the only ones who were not absorbed here when the cataclysm occurred, well, not really that kind of catacylsm but... this one is caused by something unnatural, Souji and his friends are used to paranormal things like shadows appearing right in front of you once you enter this world, but lately, that seems to be not the case, the shadosws are gone, according to kuma, and everyone is supposed to be sleeping, as Margaret would put it, in that gigantic sphere object, that is the real world, above. "In that case, what the hell are we supposed to do?"

"How should I know? I was hoping you guys might be able to tell us what the heck is going on."

"Gr, kuma, I think I hit something..."

"Not now kuma, so how do we solve this thing, this is similar to the case last year, what should we do?"

"First, we gather information." Souji answered Yosuke's question.

"Right, so, so far we... uh..."

"We are in this place you called the mayonaka terebi." Minato said.

"Oh I see, eh? Wait, really?" Chie and Yukiko are new to this information.

"Ah, you might not believe it, but we are, and it seems the fog has returned, damn fog." Yosuke said shrugging the fog around. "And this time, we don't even have our glasses, geez."

Right, since they threw all of their glasses after Souji has lifted the fog here, they didn't need it... or so they thought, it seems the fog has returned, though this doesn't seem to be the same fog as before, maybe this is just... natural? By natural, it means that it's something you can't see upon, even without the glasses or with it. "So what should we do?" Yukiko asked.

"There is only one thing I could think of, we search for the truth." Souji said with his usual trademark, in which they reach out for the truth kind of way, to which everyone agreed, it seems Minato has found some new comrades on the way.

"So, where do we begin?" Minato asked.

"I don't know, this god that these guys are talking about seems to be one capital A asshole for me." Yosuke said.

"Hm, well, we can't just linger around here, it's dangerous with the shadows..." Chie said.

"Ah about that, it seems the shadows have banished."

"Oh... Eh... Huh? Really?"

"Yeah, we figured that out a while ago, well, regarding our situation..."

"Excuse me, can you at least enlighten us with your conversation?" Minette said butting in.

"...Uh... well..." They feel an unison feeling to break up for a while.

"Uh well, we were just... going. ha ha." Chie said.

"Yeah, ha ha, sorry, but we gotta, go, run!" They all ran up to the bridge up ahead to get out of the village and into the fog.

"Hm?" To which it buffles Minette.

...At the upper, northern part of the world...

"_huff, huff. _What is going on here? Why are we...?" Yukiko asked.

"This world is a little different from the mayonaka terebi we know, something is different." Souji said.

Looking up, that sphere like object, the real world, wasn't visible before, last time they check, there was supposed to be a moon there that is beautiful once they have lifted the fog of this place and have finally remove the temptation of the shadows that make them go berserk.

"So where the hell are we anyway?" Chie asked catching her breath from all the running, it's quite foggy here which is making it more difficult.

"You ask me, supposedly we're... eh... this isn't someone's thoughts being reflected right?" Yosuke asked making sure if they're not inside someone's thoughts right now, those thoughts would then manifest in a place that is resembling the place that seem to reflect on the person's psyche.

Everyone shrugged. "It doesn't seem o be, if there were any victims here... we..." They would have encountered shadows by now, but seems like all of those usual residents of this place are not here, and Yukiko just got the feeling that something is at place here.

"Anyway, we best get to something here or else we won't be able to return to our world." Souji said.

"Why is that? Can't we just ask kuma to... huh?" Speaking of kuma, where is he?

"Huh? Hey, he was just..." Yosuke looks around with the rest.

"Ma, kuma, this is so muddy..." The latter is on a mud swamp hole or something.

"H-Hey, kuma! Don't take a bath there! It'll make you icky man." Yosuke said helping the little guy, he has been doing this ever since he started around Junes for being a mascot for the shop there, and the fact that he's here means Yosuke won't be lonely, sort of. "Geez, since when did you get in there?"

"Ever since that pulled me in there." Kuma said pointing at... something... on the small swamp hole.

"Huh?" Everyone turns to it to see...

"Muaargh! Me want toy thing!" ...A cyclops... a giant with one eye and one bat.

"Wah!" Yosuke takes a step back as the cyclops emerged out of the swamp hole.

"You are..." Chie said recognizing this kind of features, it's that of greek mythology of... "I know that, it's goliath!" ...No, she remembers a sumo wrestling style kind of way that resembles this features.

"That's not it!"

"It's cyclops." Minato retarded.

"It's cyclops." Souji retarded.

"It's cyclops." Yukiko retarded in a cute way.

"We know that already!" And Yosuke responded in a quick emotional way.

"Muuargh, me want play thing." It's about to grab kuma... and it did.

"A-Ahh! Yosuke, help me!"

"H-Hey, kuma! Teme, let go of our-"

"Me want PLAAYTHING-!" The cyclops yelled at Yosuke, making his hair sway and a mess.

"Ah, yeah, you do, so piss off somewhere." He saind pinching his nose as in to counter back for the yelling.

"Hmph, like you would do anything to me."

"I would." Minato said suddenly appearing in front. _thud! _

"Guah!" Minato punched it on the abdomen, despite how muscular it look, the cyclops is actually just very fat it seems.

"Muaah!" Kuma fell on the ground after being released.

"Oi, kuma, are you okay?" Yosuke asked tending to the little fellow.

"Are you alright?" Then Yukiko and the others as well.

"Ah, I'm seeing spiral-kuma."

"Muu, me squash you!" The cyclops said to Minato who is imagining himself as... well, the giant is imagining himself to be very dwarfing the small human to him. "Me squaasshh you-!"

"Yeah, so fall off." _tick, thud. _

"Hm?" He annoyingly kick him off the cliff or the hill. "W-Waah!" And he roll down because of it. "W-Waah!"

"Ah, sorry, didn't mean to do it." Minato said as he roll forth.

"Good luck, mr. cyclops!" Chie said.

"Have a good rolling." Souji said with one raised hand.

"Um... please, do your best, mr. cyclops." Yukiko said finding the right encouraging words.

"Hey, why the hell are we making him be praised or something!" Yosuke said.

"Wohoo, that looks like fun!" Kuma said.

"Whatever, let's just get out of here." They decided to leave this place awkwardly, well, Yosuke just pushed everyone to get out of this awkward atmosphere.

_Splaash! _The cyclops fall off the shore. "Waah! Momma, momaa, I want my momma."

"I think you made him cry." Souji said to Minato as they walk off awkwardly.

"Sorry." He said awkwardly.

"Ha ha, well, at least he had fun." Chie said.

"Why the hell are we talking about this?" It seems Yosuke is the only one who is not getting along with the awkward mood.

"Um, shouldn't we... help him?" Yukiko asked.

"Nope." They all said unison.

"Kuma." With kuma following his own suffix.

...Later, at night fall

Surprisingly, it seems nightfall can come up in here, it's definitely not the same mayonaka terebi from before, but it seems to be the same as well except the moon or circular thing above is red, not like before where it was a nostalgic sight. Everyone set camp on the middle of the forest. "_Sigh, _we can't go home then, it's just like before, where we were adventuring here to find the truth behind the murders but now... everyone is..." Yukiko lies on the grass, looking at the real world above.

"Ah, I know how you feel Amagi, everyone is sleeping right now." Yosuke said.

"Just what is "sleeping" exactly? Are they supposed to be sleeping inside that gigantic sphere or something?" Chie asked. She's roasting some steaks that she saved when she disappeared here. The fire place is where she is roasting.

Minato is lying on a pile of wood, it's been a long day, with him being reincarnated recently, he can barely stand up for a minute due to a lot of unfamiliar experience, one of them is that he's not with his old comrades, and now he finds himself in the company of unfamiliar people, but he's used to this, not like he has been like this before, he would meet new people, weird or normal, and would befriend them no matter what, one of the so-called not normal people are those similar to that old monk, Mutatsu, who is drinking heavily and despite that they get along well, then there's that invester of industrial product or something, like it's some telemarketing business about business entrepreneurs all about this shampoo that, this gloves that, this cologne that and many other more, and Minato still remembers that old annoying song of "Heere comes Tanaaakaa! Tanaakaa-! The granter of your desires!" and that stupid smug face of his. "..." He looks at the red sphere above.

"Well, no use worrying about it for now." Yosuke said lying on the grasses, truth to be told, just seeing Chie here gives him great relief, after witnessing the destruction of their hometown, he could barely think, let alone... well, breathe, it's a good thing he managed to snuff out of his stupor, it seems frienship and love can save people after all, those who don't believe in such things will probably have a mental distortion in the near future as loneliness will eventually take over if they're not careful. He used to be a loner type who would just act all cheerful and all in order to avoid being dismiss by everyone, despite that, Yosuke really enjoys the company of the other seekers of truth, mainly Souji, kuma, Kanji and Chie, the others were enjoyable too but those four are the ones he mostly hang out with, but of course, all of them are friends for life. "So, Arisato, mind telling us about yourself? You've been awfully quiet there."

"Does it matter? Of course it does, you would no doubt wouldn't trust me otherwise."

"Eh? Uh well, you've been an helping hand so far, so... we just want to get you know better. Uh, you might as well tell us about your persona powers."

"Eh? This guy is a persona-user? Hm, I was wondering why he could enter this world." Chie said taking a bite of her steak.

"Hey, we're still cooking that, don't just grab it for the bite!"

"Hey, hands off! This is my steak!"

"Geez, and this is the only food we got, well, except croquette that I brought." Yosuke got them from Junes during his way back, and they're still here.

"Oh, where did you get those?"

"Extra paycheck, I've been working non-stop at Junes and I was confiscated for my hard time being a lazy slacker, so I worked non-stop and I receive conpensation for my deeds, _munch, _I'm even about to buy a new motorcycle. _munch._"

"Eh? Really?"

"Yeah, I have enough paycheck to buy one but... given the situation we are in, I can't buy just yet."

"..." Being quiet is one of Minato's hobbies, but right now, he can sense something amidst the air, this forest... the fog... and the eery sensation. "...Hm."

"Hm," Souji seems to be following the same patter of silence, he can guess just by any minute, something big is going to happen. "Hm."

"Hm? Souji-kun? What's the matter?" Yukiko noticed his troubled expression so she asked.

"Nothing, I'm just wondering when we are going home."

"Sensei, kuma doesn't know what's going on, but I'm sure we can handle it, just like before." Kuma said assuring him in some ways.

"Yeah, we don't know yet, but I'm sure we'll find our way out of here." Yosuke as well.

"Hm, you're right."

"..." This kind of conversation reminds Minato of his old comrades, Junpei would just cheer everyone up with Yukari complementing him in some way but then he would berated for being idiot which woud lead to a laughter of sort, then there's Akihiko giving some confident words and Mitsuru would encourage everyone on their decision. "..." But now, they are gone, well, not gone, but they are beyond his reach now, he wonders, will he find the same atmosphere company again in these guys? He wonder that as he stares upon the red sphere above.

"So anyway, I guess we'll have to sleep here, even though-"

"Gyaah!" Just as Yosuke was about to suggest making a resting place here, a scream is heard.

"Huh?" "Eh?" They all responded unison.

"Who the...?"

"Who was that?" Yosuke and Chie asked.

"It sounds like it came from the woods." Yukiko said.

"Ah, I think someone is in trouble."

"Ah." Both Souji and Minato said. Everyone gets up from their position and head to the nearby trees.

"Hello? Is there someone there?" Yukiko said in a gentle tone.

"Gyaah!"

"Teme!" _Thud, thud! _

"Gyaaw! Me squaash you!" Some voices are heard.

"You dare cross me you punk huh! I, Tatsumi Kanji, will squash you!"

"...! K-Kanji?" Yosuke and the others recognized that voice except for Minato.

"Huh? Kanji?" He asked.

"Oi, Kanji, is that you? Where are you?"

"Gyaah!"

"That's..." Souji recognized that voice, it's... "Rise!"

"Souji-kun!" Souji rushed up followed by Yukiko.

"Yukiko! Wait!" Then Chie.

"Oi, wait up! Come on Arisato!" Yosuke and Minato followed.

_rustle, rustle! _"Rise!" Souji and Yukiko emerged out of the bushes to see.

"Oryaa-!" _Thud, thud! _

"Gawwrrgh! Me smash you!" Kanji fighting some cyclops that are the same as before, well, one actually, one as before.

"Teme, you're gonna pay, let's go, Rokuten Maoh!"

"Huaah!" The gigantic, mustache face warrior swing forth its sword on the cyclops, _shock, shock! _calling forth lightning bolts to strike against the cyclops.

"Guarrgh! That hurt, gyaawh!"

"Serves you right, you punks!"

"Kanji!" Yosuke and the others join the fray. "_huff, huff. _Kanji."

"Huh? S-Senpai?"

"Souji-senpai!" Rise hugs the leader of the seeker of the truths.

"Rise, daijobou?" Souji said patting her on the head.

"Hm, we..."

"No time for questions now, more of them are coming." Yosuke said bringing out his new wild card that he just attained. "Let's go, Takehaya Susano-o!" _Flash! _

"Huaarrgh!" The representation of his strong will and loyalty is manifested.

...Battle commence...

"Me squaash you!"

"Me roast you!"

"Guh, why they speak like that is hurting my brain." Yosuke said.

"Um, these are not shadows aren't they?" Chie asked.

"No, they're not, why do you ask?"

"Uh well, since we're fighting nonshadow creatures, does this mean... we're fighting..."

"We're fighting these morons, so let's go."

"Izanagi!" _Flash! _Souji summons Izanagi-no-okami. _ablaaze, ablaaze, ablaze! _And set their attire on fire.

"W-Whoo! Hot, hot!"

"Hot hot! Oven, oven!"

"Urusai, let's go, Takehaya Susano-o!"

"Haargh!" _Ablaaze! _Even more hotter.

"Gaarrghh!"

"Let's go, Amaterasu!"

"Gweekk-!" From Konohana Sakuya to the now Amaterasu. _Ablaaze, ablaaze, ablaaze! _A bunch of fireballs are thrown on the cyclops.

"Let's go, Suzuka Gongen!" _Flash! _

"Huah!" _Slam! Freeze, slam, slice! _From slamming, then to freezing and then finally, slicing.

"Whoo!" The cyclop are stripped naked, the image are... disturbing. "Whoo! My p****!"

"Guah! Dammit, Satonaka, why do you have to do that!" Yosuke complains.

"I-It can't be help! I... I..."

"Hm," Souji took care of that. "Izanagi." _Flash! _

"Huah!" _Flaash! _Ray of light is sent of the cyclops.

"Ahhrrgh!" Banishing them, and turning them into mist just like the shadows.

"Hmph," Minato could see that these guys have improved a lot over their bonds, just like his old comrades were.

"Whew, that was close, hadn't thought we-" _Stomp, stomp! _"W-What the...?" Huge footsteps.

"Wh-What is this?" Both Yosuke and Chie are agitated.

"Me smash you!" A gigantic cyclops with armor and... a club, like the rest.

"Whoa, he's huge." Kanji said.

"Ah, he is." Yukiko agreed.

"What is that?" Rise said.

"I don't care what he is, I'm gonna kick his ass! Let's go, Takehaya Susano-o!" _Flash! _

"Waah!"

"Me smash you!" _Clash! _The club is hit with Takehaya Susano-o's circular, round blade.

"Gr," Yosuke sort of felt the impact of that due to his persona being him as one and the same. "Dammit."

"Let me handle it." Minato volunteers. _Flash. _Crushing a death arcana card... _Flaash! _

"Huh? That's..." Rise and the others observe his power that is that of accumulated with Death itself.

"Ah... Ahh... Arrgh!" _Flash! _

"Grooaar!" Then the god of death, Thanatos, is summoned. An image of Ryoji Mochizuki is shown then banished. "Grooaarr, grooaarr!" It roared towards the cyclops.

"Huh?" The cyclops is dumbfounded by its appearance.

"Grr, groaarr!" Leaping forward, it raises forth one of its twin blades that seem to be the result of Ryoji now being one with it. "Grooaarr!" _Slice! _

"Grooaar!" The club is sliced.

"Grooaarr!" Then leaping down towards the cyclop, "Grooaarr!" _Stab, stab! _Blood poured out of its fat body.

"Gyoorrgh!"

"Grooaarr!" _slargh, slarch, slargh, slice! _Then Thanatos brutalized it by stomping its arms on it, then shredding it apart, to which the body parts are slit to the ground and fall apart, much to the others' dismay. Then Thanatos grabbed the head that is now lifeless, it tosses it to the side. "Grooaarr!" _Thwwaacct! _Then its arm went through the cyclop's chest, crushing the heart that spilled some blood on the grasses. _Slice! _Then Thanatos sliced it in half, finishing it. It turns into mist as it lies on the ground. "Grr, groaarr!" Then it banished after giving a loud cry.

"Gr, that was... brutal." Yosuke said in awe.

"Yeah, it was." Kanji agreed to which the girls are just silent. Then they turn to Minato, whose arcana card, returns to him.

"Ryoji." He said to the card before it banished, and there's an image of Ryoji winking at him before it does so. "Hm," He smiles at that.

"What was that?" Souji asked.

"Yeah, that was powerful, you didn't just summoned a persona, you summoned an entity didn't you?" Rise said.

"Ah, a... a... a friend you might say, came to help."

"Friend? Well, whatever we- Huh?" Just before Yosuke was about to suggest that they take camp, something caught their interest, a bunch of torches to the nearby pathway, they're on a cliff overlooking that pathway.

"What is that? A bunch of cyclops again?" Kanji asked.

"No, I think it's..." They all decided to check out, they stay beneath the grasses of the cliff and look down to see... villagers. "Huh? Hey, are these...?"

"Huh?" Everyone looks down, a lot of villagers are marching with torches in hand, someone in particular, caught Minato's attention, someone resembling Minette, her eyes are different, they're more of violet than red, which is different from that of Mitsuru, who resembles Minette.

"...Minette... No, it's not..."

"Who are those?" Chie asked.

"I don't know, perhaps they were the ones earlier?" Yukiko refers to the villagers that were going to execute them earlier.

"Don't know, where are they going though? This way leads to... well, I don't know." It's foggy, so Yosuke could not tell, the other reason is... he doesn't know this world well, and the path around.

"Sensei, daijobou?" Kuma asked worried.

"Ah, we're okay."

"Oi, kuma, where were you? We thought you didn't come with us." Yosuke said worriedly.

"I was sleeping kuma, but then when I saw you and Rise-chan were here, and Kanji, I thought I might as well come-kuma."

"Geez, you slept too early at camp, anyway, who are those guys? Do you know?" Yosuke refers to the villagers.

"Hm? No, kuma, they're... the only ones I know are the shadows, and they're gone."

"Gone?" "What do you mean?" Kanji and Rise asked.

"Kuma doesn't know-kuma, but kuma thinks we should follow them-kuma."

"I agree, it might lead us to a clue or something, well, we'll see." Yosuke said to which everyone nods.

_Waave. _"Hm?" Something caught Minato's attention.

"What's wrong?" Souji noticed it.

"No, I..." _Waave._

"Hm?"

"Hm?" The two of them sensed it. It's coming from the shades in the forst.

"..." Both nod at each other to check it out.

"Hm? Hey, what are you doing? We're not going there, come on." Yosuke said.

"Souji-kun?"

"Senpai?" Both Rise and Yukiko asked.

"..." The two kept their distance then slowly rustle up the bushes around to see if there's something in the shades, they swallow their salive since they can tell something is nearby, and it's a very, very disturbing presence.

"Uh, guys?" Yosuke asked.

"Is something in there?" Kanji asked.

"..." Just when Minato was about to reach out for the bushes...

"Grooaar!" A skeleton mark comes out with a full body of not human, but a covered body that seems to suggest that it's not human, it flies out of the bushes.

"W-Whoa!" Yosuke and the others stammer in surprise.

"Grooaar!" This creature is like a gigantic skeleton head with its entire side covered in a blanket. It's like an Arabian skeleton head with some whatever clothing they used to cover up their head from the Sun.

"A-A monster!" Rise said.

"What is that?" Yukiko asked taking a step back.

"Ah." The others as well.

"Wh-What is that? A shadow?" Chie asked.

"No-kuma, it's... it's a..."

"Children of the new potential." It spoke with its eyes glimmering. It doesn't have eyes actually, it's skeleton afterall.

"Ah." Everyone is surprised and panicked at that.

"You are the ones who foiled the entities that tried to usurp this place, but I will not, I shall grant you fear!" The skeleton head figure then morphs into something more humanoid with its right arm being that of a sword of something, a sword arm it seems and its entire body is covered up with some leather armor with vents all the plate, breastplate it seems, then it comes standing before them like its figure is that of the grim reaper.

"Waah!"

"Ah!" Everyone take a step back, except for Yosuke, Souji and Minato.

"A-Aibou, what is that?"

"Hm."

"I am... I am... Jehovah, I have come to observe your actions, mere fathom of a disease is what you bring before you, you are not welcome into this world and so you shall be banished!" A wave of red mist gather around it as it prepares to attack.

"Ah!"

"Ger!"

"S-Sensei!" Everyone stammered in shock.

"Gr, teme, don't mess with us, go, Takehaya Susano-o!" Yosuke is pissed off at him for insulting him and his friends.

"Go, Izanagi!"

"Go, Orpheus Telos!" _Flash! Flash! _The three wild cards form together, then they attack all at once.

"Grooaar, let your own volition take you!" The figure called Jehovah said as it mustered up dark mist that takes the form of... Shadow Yosuke and Shadow Chie.

"Huh?" Yosuke knows that person that tries to immitate him in many ways. "That's..."

"Huh? Didn't we..." Chie as well.

"Hehee, nice to meet you, other me."

"Ha ha, you thought you have defeated us, but no way, we're staying around for the ride!" The two shadows said summoning their respective personas, a dark Jiraiya and a dark Tomoe.

"Huh? Persona?" Yukiko asked.

"No, they're not, they're... a piece of themselves." Minato said confirming that they are mere deceptions of making it look like they are their personas. "They're trying to immitate you, don't let them fool you, you have already faced your shadows, you don't have to do it again, now go!"

"Gr," Chie is agitated at this poor immitation.

"Geez, and I thought I was done with this... You better be ready to pay you bastard, hiyaa!" Yosuke charged forth with Takehaya Susano-o.

"Haarrgh!"

"Ha ha, what's the matter? Can't go over Konishi-senpai yet?" The fake Shadow Yosuke said with Jiraiya in toe, it strikes with Takehaya Susano-o. _Clash, _and they clashed. "Hehe, oh what's the matter? So terrified at being alone?"

"Urusai, I don't need you to tell me what's going on! Hiyaa!" _Ablaaze, ablaaze, clash, charlrtch! _"I have friends who can watch my back, I have pals who look out for me, and most importantly, I have gone over my break up with senpai as well as your stupid, punk ass face, so get lost! Hiyaa!"

"Haarrgh!" With a strong will, both Yosuke and Takehaya Susano-o broke through the clash and dispatched the dark Jiraiya persona thing then went straight for the shadow. _Slice! _

"Grooaarr!" Destroying it.

"You're not me." Chie then faces her own fake shadow.

"Ha ha, what's the matter? Still over your not feminine side? Ha ha!"

"Gr," Same mockery, it doesn't work like before. "I've gone before that, I have Yukiko and the others with me, that's why... I won't let you threaten them again! Hiyaa! Let's go, Suzuka Gongen!" _Flash! _

"Hua!"

"Hmph," The shadow, fake shadow, smirks as dark Tomoe clashes with the persona, _clash! _"Oh, you're over me are you? Prove it."

"Alright, here I... go!" _Claarchgt! Clash, clash! _They clashed through and break through the dark persona immitation and... "Hiyaa!" _Stab! _

"Guargh, aarrrgh!" And destroyed the shadow, fake shadow, as well.

"Serves you right!"

"Way to go Chie!" Yosuke cheered.

"Ha ha, nice going as well Hanamura, oh, I mean... uh... Y-Yosuke." She blushes as she said that.

"Ah, well then, let's finish this guy up,aibou, oh how about... let's do it, aibous!" Right, since all three of them, Yosuke, Souji and Minato, are wielder of the wild cards, they can muster up their bonds and...

"Hiyaa!" They prepare to attack.

"Hua!"

"Huargh!"

"Huaarh!" Their personas, Takehaya Susano-o, Izanagi-no-okami and Orpheus Telos gather. "Per-so-na!" They all said unison.

"Hoorraagh!"

"Haarrgh!"

"Huaarrgh!"

"Grr," The grim reaper figure stands alone and... _Blast, blast! _It erected a barrier to protect itself, pushing the three personas a bit but...

"Gr," Minato took the opportunity to summon an arcana card that he made out of his bond with Aegis, then another from Mamoru. "Arrgh... arrgh!" A gigantic golden hand appeared with a mallet, judge mallet it seems. "You are not fit to be here, only the truth can decide you fate, so, begun! Hiyaa!"

"Huaarg!" The hand then went to him at full force, _shatter! _shattering the barrier in the process.

"What!" The figure stands vulnerable.

"Alright!"

"Yosh!" Yukiko and Rise cheered.

"Nice to go, Senpai!" Kanji cheered.

"Sensei!"

"Yosh, let's go, per-so-na!" They all said unison again.

"Huaargh!" All three personas gather to form...

"Arrgh..." The three wild cards summon their respective wild cards with their original arcanas of Death, Magician and Judgment. "Persona!" Crushing their wild cards, they summon...

_Flash, flash. Flash! _All three personas fused to form a white blue Izanagi**(Ky Kiske palette of Izanagi)**. "Ahhrrgh!" Then with one mighty blow. "Shining forth of Truth!"

"Huaah!" _Slaash-! Slice! _

"Grooaarr!" Jehovah is sliced in half.

"Gr," All three wild cards took a look at it, it's still not dead.

"Grr, children with new potential, I shall return to greet you back." It disappeared like an eye closing. Then there was nothing.

"What was that?" Kanji asked.

"I don't know." Yukiko said to which everyone ponders.

"I think we should go there, look." Minato points at a ritual site before a statue below where the villagers have gathered, it's just below the cliff at the other side of this valley.

"Huh? Hey, what are they doing? Are they... worshipping something?" Yosuke asked. The combined form of the three personas into a blue Izanagi then dispersed. The three wild cards return to their proper owner.

"Hm," 'Bonds that can transcend anything huh... hm, cool.' Minato thought.

"Hey, look." Souji points at someone who stands before a pulpit. It's Minette.

"Huh? Hey, isn't that the girl who saved us?" Yosuke recognized her.

"Hm? Where?" Rise asked lookinga about. "I don't see... whoa, she's beautiful. Hey, senpai, who is she?"

"I don't know, but they said they were worshipping the god of meat."

"Pwtch, wh-what?" Rise laughed at that.

"Ha ha, just some silly story they said about worshipping some god and then they took my steak and..." Chie said.

"Oh, look." Yukiko points.

"Hm?" Everyone turns to it. _Crreek, crash! _"Whoa!" Everyone is surprised to see that beside the worshipping statue idol, stands... a cyclops, it's similar to that giant cyclops that was brutalized by Thanatos.

"That's..." Minato said.

"Their god?" Souji continued.

"What? You have got to be kidding."

"..." Minato looks down below, something must be done.

End of chapter 2


End file.
